Family time prized

Aberdeen parents, children lead busy lives, but cherish relaxing together

Aberdeen parents, children lead busy lives, but cherish relaxing together

April 30, 2007|By Sarah Ottney, American News Writer

Eleven-year-old Bailey Roberts was fishing Wednesday evening at Wylie Park's Lake Minne-eho with his father, Stacy Roberts, when he felt a tug on his line. As Bailey reeled in a northern pike, he turned to his father with a grin. "Three-three," he said, meaning the two were now tied on the number of fish caught that evening. Roberts, 37, and his son, both of Aberdeen, try to go fishing together a few times a week during the summer, they said. They often compete for fun to see who can catch the most fish. "We usually catch around six to four every night," Bailey said. They toss back everything they catch, he said. "(Bailey) usually beats me because I'm usually stringing them up for my other son; we don't usually get to be like this," Roberts said, referring to the two of them each having a line out. Roberts has three other children: Breanne, 19, and twins Brittian and Braden, 9. Roberts said his other son is usually along for the fishing trip, but his wife and two daughters don't like to fish. "I usually just land them and then let my 9-year-old reel them in," Roberts said. "He's usually collecting rocks or something. He doesn't have the patience yet, so I'm just here to help him." Bailey is a fifth-grader at C.C. Lee Elementary. His favorite sport is hockey - but he has a lot to choose from. "Hockey, football, baseball - basically (I play) about every sport," he said. He's played with the Aberdeen Cougars for four years. Now, spring league youth baseball is gearing up. Roberts, originally from Hutchinson, Kan., attended two years of junior college in Kansas after high school, and then came to Aberdeen on a football scholarship to Northern State University, where he also ran track. He met his wife Kristi, an Aberdeen native, at Northern, and has lived here ever since. "It's a great place to live, with low crime," Roberts said. "I don't care for big cities. I can only handle one for three or four days and I'm ready to come home." He doesn't play sports anymore, but enjoys rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs, his favorite team. Roberts works two full-time jobs. By day, he is a national sales representative at Midstates Printing; by night, he is a traffic analyst at Wyndham Hotel Group, monitoring the number of calls that come in and adjusting the number of employees on duty accordingly. Between the two jobs, Roberts said he doesn't have a lot of time for anything else, which is why he cherishes the time he gets to spend with his kids. But he's not the only one that's busy. His kids are all involved in activities that keep him and his wife coming and going. "We're always taking one to soccer, one to dance; there's not a lot of free time," he said. "It's pretty rare to have a night off like this. That's why we're out here." Roberts said he started strong, getting the first two catches of the evening, but Bailey reeled in one more fish before the pair decided to call it a night - and before Roberts had to head to his night job. "Four-three," Bailey tells his dad. "I win." Sorry, Dad. Maybe next time.